In a bold move to strengthen the country’s agricultural resilience and boost food production, the government has announced plans to drill 500 irrigation wells in the 2025/26 financial year.
The initiative, to be executed by the National Irrigation Commission, aims to irrigate over 30,000 hectares of land and benefit nearly 59,000 farmers in 178 local government councils.
The announcement was made by the Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Hussein Bashe, during the presentation of his ministry’s TSh 1.24 trillion budget estimates for the upcoming fiscal year in the National Assembly.
“These wells are a strategic step towards expanding irrigated agriculture, especially in areas prone to drought and unreliable rainfall,” said Mr. Bashe.
“Our goal is to increase production, stabilize yields, and improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers.”he added
The well-drilling initiative is part of a broader irrigation development strategy that has seen the number of projects soar from just 13 in 2020/21 to 780 in 2024/25.
These projects, covering 543,366 hectares, are expected to raise Tanzania’s total irrigated land to more than 1.27 million hectares once completed.
Of the 780 ongoing projects, 125 involve construction and rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure, with 12 already completed.
Another 114 projects are focused on feasibility studies and dam construction. Nineteen dams are currently under construction, and two have been completed. Collectively, these dams are expected to hold 1.18 billion cubic meters of water.
The estimated total cost of the 780 irrigation projects is over TSh 1.34 trillion.
Minister Bashe also emphasized that the government will continue supporting youth and women in agribusiness under the Building a Better Tomorrow (BBT) programme.
Through this initiative, local councils will identify and train beneficiaries to operate within modern agribusiness models.
Additionally, the Tanzania Tobacco Board plans to establish 150 acres of tobacco demonstration farms 50 acres in Uyui District and 100 acres in Chunya District to support BBT efforts and promote cash crop development.
To further encourage private investment in agriculture, the Ministry plans to identify and acquire 80,000 hectares of farmland across eight regions: Singida, Njombe, Mara, Geita, Tabora, Mbeya, Songwe, and Tanga.
These areas will be developed for commercial agribusiness ventures, with an emphasis on value chains, irrigation, and mechanization.
In response to concerns raised in Parliament, Deputy Minister for Agriculture David Silinde provided updates on the Udimaa and Mbwasa irrigation schemes in the Manyoni District of Singida Region. The feasibility studies and detailed designs for both projects are complete.
Construction for the Mbwasa scheme has already begun following the completion of procurement in February 2025.
Meanwhile, the Udimaa project is awaiting a new contractor after an earlier tender process failed. Once completed, these projects will serve more than 13,000 residents across six villages: Kintinku, Mbwasa, Mwiboo, Chikuyu, Chilejeho, and Mtiwe.
The government's expanded irrigation and agribusiness strategy signals a major shift toward climate-resilient agriculture.
With significant investments in infrastructure, training, and land development, Tanzania is positioning itself to not only ensure food security but also become a leading exporter of agricultural products in the region.
Source Daily News
